Yea,good luck with that .I never could get mine to roll the engine over enough to fire it up.It seemed a full kick rolled the motor about 1 rev.I ended up using it to set the points .The best Thing I did to the 1000 was convert to electronic ignition and a electric fuel pump.After that and a carb sync,It always fired right up.Very much improved.

I was wondering how an electric fuel pump helps starting. It seems like the carburetor bowls would still be full of gas which should be plenty to start and run for a few minutes before the fuel pump would come into play again.

For some reason the fuel, in the carb bowls of the gl1000s, evaporates really fast. If mine sits for more than a week I have to crank the starter for quite a while in order to refill the bowls. An electric pump will refill the bowls just by turning the key on.

Tom

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

My GL1000 can set for a month and fire up instantly with the original stock fuel pump. Over the winter though, I do like to remove the air cleaner lid and give it a shot of carb cleaner. This seems to help a lot to get things flowing and I like the carb cleaner over starter fluid because it has some lubrication and is less drying than the starter fluid.

sfruechte wrote:My GL1000 can set for a month and fire up instantly with the original stock fuel pump. Over the winter though, I do like to remove the air cleaner lid and give it a shot of carb cleaner. This seems to help a lot to get things flowing and I like the carb cleaner over starter fluid because it has some lubrication and is less drying than the starter fluid.

Yours seems to be the exception. Everyone I know with a gl1000 has the same problem. That is why so many are converting to the electric pump. Even Randakk offers one for sale.

Tom

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

I wonder what the difference is. I have two 77's and they both start very easy in the summer. In fact, they start easier cold than hot. It is just the first time in the spring that I used the carb cleaner to save on the starter. One of the 77's has 218,000 miles and has never had even a head removed.

Just to prove it can be done I have posted a video on youtube - Check it out here:

or search for kickstarting a 1976 gl1000 goldwing. This was filmed using my mobile phone so I has to do everything one handed! The bike was bought as a non runner and when I filmed it the bike had not been started for a week and the outside temperature was 7 degrees centigrade. Dave.

Nice video Dave. Do you have the cable straps and hinges that hold up the tank side covers. Folks with a front fairing dump those parts, but nice ones are available at Randakks and elsewhere (crescentmoon). But your bike sure runs good based on the conditions you mentioned. I hope to do that some day with my 1977, but I need to replace the 1978 block with a proper 1977 block (stored on a dolly) before I can try that.

Have now got the original colour shelter panels, radiator shrouds, shelter pins and original exhaust system fitted. Just waiting for the sidepanels in the original colour now. Thanks for the info guys.Dave.